Woody Allen - Awards - IMDb Woody Allen Showing all 131 wins and 199 nominations Academy Awards, USA Midnight in Paris (2011) Woody Allen was not present at the awards ceremony. Presenter Angelina Jolie accepted the award on ... More Woody Allen was not present at the awards ceremony. Presenter Angelina Jolie accepted the award on his behalf. Nominated Hannah and Her Sisters (1986) Woody Allen was not present at the awards ceremony. Presenter Shirley MacLaine accepted the award ... More Woody Allen was not present at the awards ceremony. Presenter Shirley MacLaine accepted the award on his behalf. Nominated Annie Hall (1977) Woody Allen was not present at the awards ceremony. Co-presenter King Vidor accepted the award on ... More Woody Allen was not present at the awards ceremony. Co-presenter King Vidor accepted the award on his behalf. Best Writing, Screenplay Written Directly for the Screen Woody Allen was not present at the awards ceremony.

Nominated Award of the Argentinean Academy Best Foreign Film (Mejor Película Extranjera) Award of the Argentinean Academy Best Foreign Film Lifetime Achievement Award in Comedy Argentinean Film Critics Association Awards Honorable Mentions (The Next Ten Best Picture Contenders) Honorable Mentions Frederic B. Blankfein (second assistant director) (plaque) Dublin Film Critics Circle Awards Tied with Robert Benton for Kramer vs. Kramer (1979). 2nd place OFTA Film Hall of Fame Creative OFTA Film Hall of Fame Creative Most Promising New Star (Male) Prince of Asturias Awards and any actress decades younger Turia Awards Won Career Golden Lion In celebration of cinema's 100th anniversary. Woody Allen is known not to show up at award ... More In celebration of cinema's 100th anniversary. Woody Allen is known not to show up at award ceremonies and like so often Carlo Di Palma accepted the award in his name, stating that 'it has become a full-time job'.

Oscars 2014: Best Original Screenplay, American Hustle | TIME.com Craig Borten and Melisa Wallack, Dallas Buyers Club Spike Jonze, her Bob Nelson, Nebraska Eric Warren Singer and David O. Russell, American Hustle Allen is the laureled veteran; Blue Jasmine marks his 16th nomination for original screenplay, including three wins (for Annie Hall, Hannah and Her Sisters and Midnight in Paris) spread across five decades. At past ceremonies, King Vidor, Shirley MacLaine and Angelina Jolie have accepted Oscars for the absent Allen. Finding a surrogate shouldn’t be a problem this year, as he won’t win. Cate Blanchett’s inevitable Oscar for Best Actress will suffice — and whatever the validity of Dylan Farrow’s allegations of sexual abuse from Allen years ago, that sickly shadow can’t help the auteur’s cause in this category. (READ: Cate Blanchett comments on the Dylan Farrow allegations against Woody Allen ) Most of the other nominees are relative pups.

Nebraska is Nelson’s first credited screenplay, though so much in the sour-dour comic tone of director Alexander Payne (Election, Sideways, The Descendants — all Oscar screenplay finalists) that voters might think Nelson a Payne pseudonym. (READ: Our review of Nebraska ) Borten and Wallack are also first-timer scripters; they wrote Dallas Buyers Club two decades ago, after compiling hundreds of hours of interviews with their subject, Ron Woodroof. Their nomination shows the broad favor the movie has earned from the Academy. Six nominations: this one plus Picture, Actor (a likely win), Supporting Actor (a sure win), Editing and Makeup and Hairstyling. (READ: Matthew McConaughey on Dallas Buyers Club ) That leaves two “comedies,” broadly speaking. Jonze directed a couple of Oscar-nominated scripts by Charlie Kaufman (Being John Malkovich and Adaptation.); Her is his first original screenplay . The emphasis is on original in this sci-fi love story with only two main characters, one of whom — the computer, voiced by Scarlett Johansson — is never seen. No popular hit ($24 million in two months of release), Her has managed to polarize viewers: as many people hate the movie as love it.

(READ: Joel Stein’s profile of her writer-director Spike Jonze ) But everybody loves Hustle. Closing in on $150 million at the domestic box office, and tied with Gravity for the most Oscar nominations (10), it seems a natural for this category: it’s fast, dense, funny and talky. And except for Dallas Buyers Club, this inside-Abscam tale is the only nominee based — very loosely — on a real story. Singer’s script, then called American Bullshit, was named one of the best unproduced screenplays on the Blacklist; then Russell rewrote it for his stars, especially Jennifer Lawrence. One potential handicap: the actors keep talking about how Russell encouraged them to improv and ad-lib. If they made it up, why give the movie a screenplay award? In industry awards that serve as harbingers to the Oscars, the Writers Guild chose Her, while the British Film Academy (BAFTA) picked American Hustle. The Gold Derby poll of 30 Oscar journalists ended in a dead heat: 15 votes for each film. As a tie-breaker we might go with the very savvy Guy Lodge of the In Contention awards blog ; he thinks Her will win.

But we’re sticking with Singer and Russell and American Hustle. If Lupita Nyong’o beats Lawrence for Supporting Actress, this could be the only Oscar to go to a very popular movie that the Academy likes and admires. Subscribe Popular Among Subscribers Oscar predictions: Who will win Best Original Screenplay? - Goldderby Goldderby Manchester by the Sea 7/1 Moonlight 7/1 Paul Sheehan Sep 3, 2015 6:06 am In the last decade Best Original Screenplay has gone to a wide-range of genres: dramas ("Birdman," "Crash"), comedies ("Midnight in Paris," "Juno," "Little Miss Sunshine"), biopics ("Milk"), period pictures ("The King's Speech"), dramatizations of real events ("The Hurt Locker"), and sci-fi ("Her"). Regardless of the type of film, to prevail a nominee needs broad academy support. All 10 of the most recent Best Original Screenplay winners were, at the least, Best Picture nominees. Last year, four of the five nominees for Best Original Screenplay were crafted by writer/directors including the winner, "Birdman," which was also named Best Picture.

In that instance, Alejandro G. Inarritu was one of a quartet of scribes, along with Nicolas Giacobone, Alexander Dinelaris, Jr. and Armando Bo. Expect auteurs to be well-represented in this race once again, with 14 of them on the list of possible contenders below. Among these are past category champs Woody Allen and Quentin Tarantino as well as past nominees Noah Baumbach, Oren Moverman and David O. Russell. While most film versions of true stories are adaptations, several of this year's, including Russell's (" Joy "), are based on original scripts. Other genres that could feature in this category include comedies, crime dramas and animation. Below are brief overviews of these films, including studios, stateside release dates, festival appearances, Rotten Tomatoes (RT) and MetaCritic (MC) scores, box office, plot descriptions, cast lists, directing and screenwriting credits. The 14 films by writers/directors vary in type, from domestic dramas to period pieces, from character studies to sci-fi. " By the Sea " – Universal – Nov.

13 An American writer (Brad Pitt) and his wife (Angelina Jolie) travel to the south of France in the late 1970s to work on their failing marriage. Features Melanie Laurent, Niels Arestrup, Melvil Poupaud and Richard Bohringer. Directed and written by Jolie. " Clouds of Sils Maria " – IFC Films – April 10 Cannes 2014 RT: 89; MC: 78; $1.7 million Maria Enders (Juliette Binoche) is a international movie star who turns to her loyal assistant, Valentine (Kristen Stewart), during a career crisis. Stewart was the first American to win a Cesar, the French equivalent of the Oscar. Directed and written by Olivier Assayas. "Ex Machina" – A24 – April 10 RT: 92; MC: 78; $25.6 million (US) A programmer (Domhall Gleeson) tries to help android with artificial intelligence (Alicia Viklander) escape from her inventor (Oscar Isaac). Directed and written by Alex Garland " Grandma " – Sony Pictures Classics – Aug.

21 Sundance Poet Ellie Reid (Lily Tomlin) is coping with the recent death of her longterm life partner when she discovers that her 18-year-old grand daughter Sage (Julia Garner) is pregnant. The two embark on a road trip to come to terms with their troubles. Directed and written by Paul Weitz. " The Hateful Eight " – The Weinstein Company – Dec. 25 In this Western, set in post-Civil War Wyoming, eight passengers seek refuge in a mountain pass during a blizzard. Stars Samuel L. Jackson, Kurt Russell, Jennifer Jason Leigh, Walter Goggins and Bruce Dern. Directed and written by Quentin Tarantino. "I'll See You in My Dreams" – Bleecker Street – May 15 Sundance RT: 94; MC: 75; $7.2 million A widow (Blythe Danner) embarks on an unlikely friendship with her pool maintenance man (Martin Starr), pursues a new love interest (Sam Elliott), and reconnects with her daughter (Malin Akerman). Directed by Brett Haley. Screenplay by Haley and Marc Basch.

" Irrational Man " – Sony Pictures Classics – July 17 RT: 39; MC: 53; $3.3 million (US) At the small-town New England college campus of Braylin, philosophy professor Abe Lucas (Joaquin Phoenix) finds himself in an existential crisis, but he eventually discovers a new purpose in life when he enters into a relationship with Jill Pollard (Emma Stone), one of his students. Directed and written by Woody Allen " Joy " – 20th Century Fox – Dec. 25 The life of Joy Mangano, a Long Island single mother of three who invented the Miracle Mop. Oscar winner Jennifer Lawrence is Mangano, with Robert DeNiro as her father, Edgar Ramirez as her ex and Bradley Cooper as a Home Shopping Network executive who believes in her. Directed and written by David O. Russell. " Mistress America " – Fox Searchlight Pictures – Aug. 14 RT: 84; MC: 75 A college freshman (Lola Kirke) cures her disappointment and loneliness by allowing herself to be pulled into the wacky schemes of her future stepsister (Greta Gerwig). Directed by Noah Baumbach.

" The Second Mother " – Oscilloscope – Aug. 28 Val (Regina Case) must leave her daughter behind when she moves to Sao Paulo to work as a nanny. Thirteen years on, and Jessica (Camila Márdila) comes to stay while preparing for a school exan. Directed and written by Anna Muylaert. 'The Artist' takes top Oscar honors - CNN.com 'The Artist' takes top Oscar honors By Alan Duke, CNN Updated 11:07 AM ET, Mon February 27, 2012 Chat with us in Facebook Messenger. Find out what's happening in the world as it unfolds. JUST WATCHED The big Oscar winners 00:57 Story highlights "Artist" actor Jean Dujardin wants to make more silent movies in America Meryl Streep wins her third Oscar as Margaret Thatcher in "The Iron Lady" Best supporting actor Oscar "recharged me," Christopher Plummer says Billy Crystal hosts the Academy Awards for a ninth time Sunday night The silent, black-and-white film "The Artist" took top honors at the Academy Awards on Sunday night, garnering five Oscars for best picture, best directing, best costume design, best original music score and best actor.

Jean Dujardin, who spoke just two words in "The Artist," was jubilant as he accepted his best actor Oscar. "I love your country," the French actor said. Asked backstage how he would make a transition to American "talkies," he said "I'm not an Amerian actor, I continue in French." His translator then said "It's possible if he could make another silent movie in America, he'd like to." Michel Hazanavicius beat out Martin Scorsese and Woody Allen to win his best directing Academy Award. "I am the happiest director in the world right now," Hazanavicius said as he accepted. Meryl Streep's channeling of former British Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher in "The Iron Lady" earned the best actress Oscar for her. It was her third Academy Award after 17 nominations. JUST WATCHED MUST WATCH Brad Pitt brings mom and dad to Oscars 00:40 "When they called my name, I had this feeling I could hear half of America going 'Oh no, why her again? Well, whatever,'" Streep joked in her acceptance.

"The Iron Lady" was also rewarded with a best make up Oscar for the work done to convince the audience that Streep was Thatcher. Christopher Plummer became the oldest actor to win an Academy Award when he was presented the best supporting actor Oscar for his role as an aging gay man in "Beginners." "You're only two years older than me, darling," the 82-year-old Plummer said as he looked at his Oscar trophy. "Where have you been all my life?" He also won the Golden Globe and Screen Actors Guild award in earlier competitions. Backstage, Plummer called his Oscar "sort of a renewal." "It has recharged me," Plummer said. "I hope I can do it for another 10 years at least. I'm going to drop dead on the stage or on a set. we don't retire." Octavia Spencer cried as she accepted the best supporting actress Oscar for her portrayal of a Mississippi maid in the civil-rights-era movie "The Help." "I'm sorry, I'm freaking out," Spencer said as the allotted time for her acceptance speech ended. Spencer's win was not a surprise to many Oscar watchers since she also won best supporting actress at the Golden Globes and the SAG awards.

Martin Scorsese's 3-D film "Hugo," which was up for awards in 11 categories, won five Oscars, including for best cinematography, best art direction, best sounding edit, best sound mixing and best visual effects. JUST WATCHED MUST WATCH How it feels to win an Oscar 02:23 Woody Allen won the best original screenplay Oscar for his film about a time-traveling American writer, "Midnight in Paris." "The Descendants," a family drama starring George Clooney, won for best adapted screenplay. The Oscar for best foreign language film was awarded to Iran's "A Separation." "At this time, many Iranians all over the world are watching us and I imagine them to be very happy," director Asghar Farhadi said as he accepted. Viola Davis: I've really stepped into who I am The animated feature film Oscar went to "Rango," the story of a lizard stranded in the Mojave Desert. The best documentary feature Oscar was awarded to "Undefeated," the story of a high school football team that reversed its losing tradition.

The Oscar for best film editing went to Kirk Baxter and Angus Wall, the editors of "The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo." "Man or Muppets," a song written for "The Muppets," won the best original movie song Oscar. What made Melissa McCarthy cry on Oscars night? "Saving Face," the story of a British-Pakistani plastic surgeon helps restore the faces of women scarred by acid attacks, won the best documentary short Oscar. The short live action film Oscar was given to "The Shore," which is about the reunion of two boyhood friends in Northern Ireland. "The Fantastic Flying Books of Mr. Morris Lessmore," which creates a world where books are alive, won the best animated short Oscar. Billy Crystal returned to the Oscar stage to host Hollywood's biggest night for a ninth time, opening with a comedic video that included Justin Bieber and Tom Cruise. "I'm here to get you the 18-to-24 demographic," the teenage Bieber told Crystal. See what else happened live at the CNN Marquee live blog Crystal belted out a new version of his usual opening song, "It's a Wonderful Night for Oscar," with lyrical references to each best picture nominee.

The 84th annual Academy Awards was televised live Sunday night from the Hollywood & Highland Center, formerly Hollywood's Kodak Theatre. The Kodak name was taken off the theater after a bankruptcy court ruling last week. Crystal jokingly referred to it as the "beautiful Chapter 11 theater." Oscars Lowdown 2014: Best Original Screenplay – Will ‘Her’ get ‘Hustled?’ Oscars Lowdown 2014: Best Original Screenplay – Will ‘Her’ get ‘Hustled?’ EMAIL In the lead-up to the 86th annual Academy Awards on March 2, HitFix will be bringing you the lowdown on all 24 Oscar categories with multiple entries each day. Take a few notes and bone up on the competition as we give you the edge in your office Oscar pool! The Best Original Screenplay category is often something of a refuge from the Best Picture race — a place where the Academy can show their appreciation for a smaller, hipper or more challenging contender that isn’t likely to take the night’s top prize. That’s more or less the case this year, particularly with the otherwise formidable “Gravity” pointedly ignored here.

As it is, four less imposing Best Picture nominees are in the running, with two in particular duking it out for the win, while the fifth is a category perennial (and the only former champ in the race) with no chance whatsoever of victory this time round. The nominees are… “American Hustle” (David O. Russell and Eric Warren Singer) Earlier in the season, this was looking like an easy win for Singer and Russell — who, after racking up five nods in the last four years, must be getting antsy for his first Oscar win. The pair kicked off the season with a New York Film Critics’ Circle win for their freewheeling comic screenplay, and it seemed its shaggily expansive structure and parade of colorfully defined characters would appeal to the Academy too, particularly when the film amassed a co-leading total of 10 nominations. But for whatever reason, the air has been escaping from the “Hustle” balloon a bit, while “Her” beat it to this prize at both the Golden Globes and WGA Awards.

BAFTA, however, revived its fortunes with a win (Russell’s second consecutive writing award from the Brits), and the film’s many admirers within the Academy may still see this category as the most convenient place to reward it. (Check out our interview with David O. Russell here.) “Blue Jasmine” (Woody Allen) Two years ago, Allen rode the “Woody’s best in X years” narrative all the way to a third win in this category — and his first in 25 years — for his lightweight comedy “Midnight in Paris,” beating even the Best Picture winner in the process. I wonder if many voters felt they should have waited after seeing his thorny tragicomic work on “Blue Jasmine,” an arguably more substantial writer’s piece for which the critical reception was, if anything, even warmer. Then again, even if the film had amassed equivalent comeback momentum to “Paris” (and even if it had scored a Best Picture nod), his chances would likely have been scuppered by the currently raging Dylan Farrow scandal — it won’t hurt Cate Blanchett’s Best Actress chances any, but many voters won’t feel comfortable checking off his name right now.

Still, you can bet he’ll be back soon enough for a record-extending 17th nomination in this category. “Dallas Buyers Club” (Craig Borten and Melisa Wallack) Borten and Wallack’s nomination wasn’t as surprising as it would have been before the WGA foreshadowed it, but it was still indicative of the unexpected depth of support within the Academy for Focus Features’ modest AIDS drama. Though the film didn’t get much attention for its writing earlier in the season, it’s a solidly structured screenplay in the traditionally redemptive mold, with flavorful dialogue and a lovingly defined trio of characters. Some have taken issue with its factually fast-and-loose treatment of Ron Woodroof’s life, and even accused it of giving a heteronormative makeover to a significant period of LGBT history — which seems to demand it tell a different story to the one it tells rather well. Either way, the nomination is far as it goes here.

“Her” (Spike Jonze) Spike Jonze’s first two films, “Being John Malkovich” and “Adaptation,” were both eccentric visions that picked up nominations for their screenplays — though in both cases, it was Charlie Kaufman at the keyboard. “Her” is a product entirely on Jonze’s imagination, though there’s more than a hint of Kaufman’s off-kilter worldview and low-fi surrealism to this unique romantic fantasy, which picks up on any number of contemporary social mores and neuroses — relating to intimacy, communication and technology — in a way that has really struck a chord with viewers and media commentators alike. That combination of liberal, capital-O Originality and zeitgeist engagement has helped to triumph both at the Globes and WGAs, and will surely win over many Academy voters. It’s worth noting, too, that the Guild award and the Oscar haven’t been split between two mutually eligible contenders in this category since 2000.

“Nebraska” (Bob Nelson) Three of Alexander Payne’s previous films have been nominated by the writers’ branch, while two of them actually took the Oscar, so it was no surprise to see this one included — the key differences, of course, being that “Nebraska” is a) an original screenplay and b) not written by Payne himself. On the latter point, many uninformed voters will doubtless assume otherwise, given that Nelson’s first feature screenplay strikes a similarly mordant comic tone to Payne’s self-written work, and similarly scrutinizes the sometimes farcical foibles of weary American everymen. (It even attracted similar charges of condescension from Payne’s detractors.) One thing it will not share with the director’s last two films, however, is a writing Oscar; the competition from buzzier Best Picture players is simply too strong.

Will win: “Her” Should win: “Her” Should have been here: “Frances Ha” This was a competitive field at the nominations stage, with a number of prestige titles jostling for inclusion — many have already decried the omission of BAFTA nominee “Inside Llewyn Davis” from the list, and the Coens’ film joins “Gravity” as the category’s most conspicuous absentee. Still, my fantasy vote would have gone elsewhere: to Sebstian Lelio for the compassionate human comedy of “Gloria,” or Greta Gerwig and Noah Baumbach for the loose-limbed, verbally rich authenticity of Llewyn Davis’s little sister, “Frances Ha.” What do you think deserves to win Best Original Screenplay this year? Vote in our poll below. How do you think this race will pan out, and what do wish were nominated? Share your thoughts in the comments. Share This By: Kate 02.21.2014 @ 11:41 PM Her would be my choice for Should Win, though I have major issues with some of the writing. Frances Ha or In the House would be my personal choices.

By: GuyLodge In the House, wonderful screenplay that it is, is actually an adaptation. By: KristopherTapley Beginning to lean back toward American Hustle here but it’s a close one. By: Casey Fiore 02.22.2014 @ 1:50 AM Curious, and I know you’re not a big supporter but you mentioned it first, what is the substantive case for this screenplay? I don’t mean to be snarky, but I’ve hear a few arguments pertaining to this film being about false faces and manipulation and so forth and I’ve not yet heard a strong argument that demonstrates that this film has any cohesive point at all. Any fans, your thoughts are much appreciated too. By: DylanS 02.22.2014 @ 2:03 AM Let’s break it down this way, as far as how the Academy looks at things when it comes to writing. A good screenplay = good dialogue, and American Hustle is probably the talkiest film in the category. By: JLPatt 02.22.2014 @ 4:17 AM Well, Guy sums it up pretty well above.

The film feels spontaneous, loose, but also meticulous in structure and character building. The elements are constantly weaving in and around each other, balancing humor and pathos throughout a story that encompasses a sprawl of relationships that operate on multiple levels. It’s extremely impressive writing, both for its breadth and its skill at juggling so many narrative components. By: Chuckie 02.22.2014 @ 9:11 AM See, I don’t hear most people describing it that way. I hear it being referred to as a mess. A fun mess, but a mess nonetheless. The characters are inconsistent and a good many of the plots fall apart upon close examination. Even Bale and Adams said in interviews that there was virtually no script and when they tried to point out to the director that when he was changing things along the way, it wouldn’t make sense down the line, he said he didn’t care. I think the acting in Hustle is what’s appreciated most, not the writing. By: Casey Fiore 02.22.2014 @ 4:19 PM Yeah, I appreciate your point of view, JPLATT, but I have to side with Chuckie on this.

I’m not sold on this complexity argument I really thought it was haphazardly constructed, but to each their own. By: Jonnybon Hoping Her will win, while Short Term 12 is my should have been here. By: GuyLodge That’s an adaptation, actually. By: m1 Should have been here: Fruitvale Station By: Brooklyn625 02.22.2014 @ 1:41 AM Her and American Hustle were my two favorite films of the year. I’d be pleased with either one winning the Oscar. By: DylanS 02.22.2014 @ 2:06 AM I’m ok with either “Her” or “American Hustle” winning here, although I like “Her” better as a screenplay, I think David O Russell really deserves an award for the work he’s done on his past 3 films. I like that Jonze and Russell, who are mutual admirers of each other and have acted in each other’s films, are going head to head.

By: DylanS 02.22.2014 @ 2:12 AM Guy, no need to bitch-slap “Midnight in Paris”. Sure, it may not be as thematically bold as “Blue Jasmine”, but getting the tone of that script right couldn’t have been an easy task. Lightweight doesn’t automatically equal lesser, and it’s not like they are even aiming for remotely similar results. By: GuyLodge 02.22.2014 @ 2:18 AM I’m fine with lightweight — which I intended as a description of tone rather than a pejorative — and I never said they were aiming for similar results. I just don’t think it’s a very good screenplay. (I don’t think Blue Jasmine is a great one, either, but it’s far more richly characterised. And wittier, in my opinion.) By: GuyLodge 02.22.2014 @ 2:20 AM I mean, I agree that lightweight doesn’t automatically equal lesser — but it’s you who automatically interpreted it that way in your reading!

;) By: DylanS 02.22.2014 @ 2:26 AM fair enough, but this isn’t the first time you’ve criticized “Midnight in Paris” as a lesser Allen film and referred to it as lightweight. Perhaps I drew a connection between what were actually two unrelated thoughts. I’m partial to “Midnight in Paris” and actually prefer when Allen works in that vein as opposed to his weightier stuff, which, as in “Blue Jasmine”, I find uneven. By: GuyLodge 02.22.2014 @ 2:34 AM Yes, as you say, I think Midnight in Paris is both lightweight and lesser (though still agreeable) Woody Allen. It is not the latter because of the former: Radio Days, for example, I find both lightweight and entirely captivating. By: m1 02.22.2014 @ 2:44 AM I agree with DYLANS about the Midnight in Paris screenplay. What a clever concept for a movie! Very funny, as well. Blue Jasmine is a pretty good script but some of the character decisions in the last act weaken it a bit for me.

By: Halo_Insider 02.22.2014 @ 12:49 PM This is more of a nitpick, but I’m also unsure of what is meant by Blue Jasmine getting a “warmer critical reception”. Seemed to me that, while Midnight in Paris is a film of lesser depth, its reviews were just a *tad* better than Blue Jasmine all around, gaining higher RT and Metacritic scores and appearing on far more Top 10 lists. By: DylanS Should have been here: “Inside Llewyn Davis” By: John G. 02.22.2014 @ 2:45 AM I’ve had this category wrong since The King’s Speech, and it’s competitive again. Very torn as to who to predict. There’s a strong argument for both, and I’m sure I’ll have it wrong again. As far as should win, I don’t really know either. I’m honestly not over the moon about any of these five screenplays. American Hustle, which I like very much, could really use a stronger protagonist and a bit more focus.

Blue Jasmine has a very off-target climax (with Jasmine’s son), and Dallas Buyers Club, while proficient, is less remarkable than the category often offers. I have much bigger problems with the other two nominees. So I’m not sure about “should win.” My “should have been here,” based on what I’ve seen, goes to one of the apocalyptic comedies, This is the End or The World’s End. This is the End gets the edge because of the odd tacked-on epilogue to The World’s End. By: The Dude Should have been there: Inside Llewyn Davis By: The Dude In my dream world, Her wins and a surprised Jason Bateman announces it. By: John G. Took me a second, but well done, classic By: GRubi User Him and Michael Cera should be the co-presenters By: Edwin 02.22.2014 @ 3:56 AM Excepting a case in which Lawrence wins Supporting Actress and “Her” wins Original Screenplay, it looks a lot like only a whopping 5 of the 9 Best Picture nominees this year are going home empty-handed.

Any win for “Nebraska,” “The Wolf of Wall Street,” and “Philomena” would be considered a surprise. “Captain Phillips” *could* win Editing, but it’s certainly not a lock. Either “Her” or “American Hustle” is winning Original Screenplay, but again, unless the scenario I specified earlier occurs, one of them is going home empty-handed. So really, there’s a very good chance that only 4 of this year’s 9 Best Picture nominees will be winning any awards at all. If that’s not an argument as to why they should just go back to having 5 nominees, I don’t know what is. By: Sean_C 02.22.2014 @ 7:57 AM And last year eight of the nine nominated films won at least one Oscar. You can’t assess it based on any one year. By: vladdy 02.22.2014 @ 6:08 PM I don’t understand how that is an argument for 5 nominees, Edwin. If 5 BP nominees win no awards, they will still have been BP nominees.

They wouldn’t win those other awards all of a sudden just because they magically are no longer nominated for Picture. Also, if there had been 5 nominees and only 4 won anything, one would be a sad, solo shut-out, and everyone would say there should be more than 5 nominees since nothing but BP nominees won anything. By: Edwin 02.23.2014 @ 2:49 AM I fully admit to using a LOT of things as excuses to argue for 5 nominees, so I recognize that it’s sometimes a stretch. However, there is at least some logic behind my argument in this case. It’s not that I think those 5 movies would win awards if they weren’t Best Picture nominees; it’s that the fact that less than half of the Best Picture nominees are winning anything makes it very clear that they are filler slots. I’m glad that “Her” is a Best Picture nominee. It wouldn’t have been nominated in a 5-nominee year. So that’s a good thing. And going back to the first expanded year, it still seems delightfully shocking that “A Serious Man” was nominated for Best Picture.

Still, I think it’s usually pretty obvious what the top 5 are anyway, and the bottom 3 or 4 usually aren’t even in contention for any prize whatsoever. Last year was an exception, but every other year in the expanded era, at least 3 of the nominees had no chance of winning any category. Best Picture nominees should at least feel like *somewhat* of a threat, right? Obviously, that argument falls into the same “it makes a Best Picture nomination less meaningful” debate that people have been saying since the expanded field began. But even supposing you don’t buy that, I’ll give you an example from personal experience that might show how the expanded lineup has actually backfired. A relative of mine was going to see a movie and wanted to catch up on the Oscar nominees. Upon looking at the list of Best Picture nominees, she said, “Oh my god, there are SEVEN that I haven’t seen. I’m never going to catch up with these.” She wound up seeing a non-Oscar nominee instead. I’m not saying that small example proves anything, but I’m sure a lot of people have that mentality, and I wouldn’t be surprised if even some Academy members held that view.

This very website published an article following the nominations about how few movies were actually nominated in the major categories (without looking it up, I think there are only 11 movies represented in the “big 6” categories). That might mean that voters are so busy catching up on all the movies with Best Picture buzz that they don’t have time to watch movies that might just have buzz in a few categories excluding Best Picture. It gives Best Picture contenders an unfair advantage if that’s the case. Look at the Supporting Actor category this year. Jonah Hill looked to be finished after his complete lack of precursor nominations, but he got in anyway over James Gandolfini and Daniel Bruhl. I would not be surprised at all if the reason behind this was that voters watched “The Wolf of Wall Street” because it had Best Picture buzz but not “Enough Said” or “Rush” because they weren’t considered Best Picture possibilities. I realize I’ve gone way off track here, but my point is that I’m a huge advocate of switching back to 5 nominees.

By: GRubi User 02.23.2014 @ 6:47 AM Out of curiousity Edwin, what do you think the 5 nominees would have been if this wasn’t an expanded year? I’m sure that 12 Year’s a Slave, American Hustle, and Gravity would have gotten in. I think the remaining two would be some combination of Captain Phillips, Nebraska, and The Wolf of Wall Street. By: Edwin 02.23.2014 @ 12:48 PM I actually think “Dallas Buyers Club” would have gotten in, with the last slot being a coin toss between “Nebraska” and “The Wolf of Wall Street.” I’m leaning more towards “Wolf” getting in and Payne getting the lone director slot (which I miss), but it could easily have been the other way around. I guess “Captain Phillips” is a possibility too, but it underperformed too much for me to think of it as a top 5 placer.

Don’t ask me what the top 5 would have been last year, though, because after “Argo,” “Life of Pi,” “Lincoln,” and “Silver Linings Playbook,” I have absolutely no clue what the fifth nominee would have been. You could make a solid argument for at least 3 of the others, if not all 5. By: GuyLodge 02.23.2014 @ 6:29 PM Yeah, it seems clear to me that Dallas Buyers Club would have been in the top five, and would have been the near-annual Best Picture nominee to miss out on a Best Director slot. By: GRubi User 02.23.2014 @ 6:51 PM Really? I mean DBC was at the bottom of most peoples’ lists in predictions, this site included I think. I mean its definitely gained a lot steam the last couple of weeks, but that was after the nominations came in. By: GuyLodge 02.23.2014 @ 7:04 PM It certainly wasn’t at the bottom of this site’s list. Look at all that guild love.

Look at that surprise editing nomination (which would have made very little sense without a Best Picture bid). It’s pretty obvious. By: GRubi User 02.23.2014 @ 7:31 PM Just because a movie gets an editing nod doesn’t mean it’s a top 5 best picture contender. With the possible exception of last year, every year since the best picture expansion has had at least one nominee that was obviously not a top five contender (one year even had a non-best picture nominee, which funny enough, ended up winning). And even last year, the 5th slot went to Zero Dark Thirty, which I personally think was 6th, 7th, or even 8th on most people’s lists. I’ve always thought that oscar prognosticators thinking an editing win automatically makes the odds of that film winning Best Picture very, very good is really overstated. In the last 15 years, only 7 of the editing winners went on to win best picture. That’s not even half. I also apply this logic to the likelihood of getting a top 5 best picture nod (if such a thing actually existed now) just because there is an editing nod.

I think your point about the guilds is more valid since there is some crossover, but even so, the wins were all made after the nominations were announced. At that point, it wasn’t even clear if McConaughey was the frontrunner. By: GuyLodge 02.23.2014 @ 10:21 PM “Just because a movie gets an editing nod doesn’t mean it’s a top 5 best picture contender.” Of course not. But when the film isn’t particularly an editor’s showcase — and Dallas Buyers Club, proficient as it is in that department, certainly isn’t — it’s indicative of something in the water. Editing arguably has more relevance than most crafts to the Best Picture race given that it can have such a strong relationship to script and performance. Anyway, pointless arguing about hypotheticals.

By: GuyLodge 02.23.2014 @ 10:27 PM And just to respond to your last point, the guild nominations are far more relevant than the wins in this conversation — when Dallas Buyers Club got that SAG ensemble nod, for example, it was clear that the film was a surefire Best Picture nominee, given that the film isn’t especially an ensemble piece. (In much the same way that the editing nomination is telling, given that it isn’t especially an editor’s piece.) By: Edwin 02.24.2014 @ 1:12 AM It’s not just that it got a Best Editing nomination. It overperformed in general. Though they weren’t quite as surprising as the Editing nod, it wasn’t a consensus pick for Original Screenplay or Makeup either. The fact that it got all three of those nominations means that there was clearly widespread support for the movie. As Guy said, it’s pretty pointless to debate hypotheticals, but “Dallas Buyers Club” is not the kind of movie that gets 5 nominations (3 in the “big 8” categories) and doesn’t get in for Best Picture. It’s a fairly low-key indie movie.

Big studio prestige projects can get that many nominations without getting in for Best Picture, but I think whenever a smaller movie gets that many nominations, it means that there was major support for it. By: GRubi User 02.24.2014 @ 1:28 AM I see your points and they do make sense, but there are two more reasons why it got these other nominations that don’t normally don’t go to “low key indies.” For one thing, it had 1 huge star in it, as well as 2 fairly well known ones. Of course there are a lot of movies that have that, but it doesn’t hurt. But my second reason is more important. Dallas Buyer’s Club is in a very unique position in that it’s basically the movie that must represent Focus Features. Focus Features as we knew it doesn’t exist anymore and I can definitely see The Academy wanting to let the studio go out on a high note by giving it multiple nominations since it’s really been a fairly successful studio when it comes to The Oscars over the last 10 years.

Obviously, this is not an argument for why Dallas Buyer’s Club wouldn’t have made best picture in a 5 movie field (you and Guy haven’t 100% convinced me, but I definitely see why you might be right), But it’s more reasons for why it would get 5 nominations (so if anything, I’m supporting your argument). Whether the actor factor and end of studio factor would have been more reasons for it to be a best pic nominee, I don’t know. Anyway, as you said, none of this really matters since it’s all hypothetical. I didn’t mean to get into this huge discussion over something that ultimately doesn’t even matter. By: Edwin 02.24.2014 @ 1:47 AM To be clear, I wouldn’t bet a lot of money on “Dallas Buyers Club” being in the top five. I don’t know, and there’s no way to ever find out. I’m just saying that there are signs pointing to it being in the top five. Take them for whatever they’re worth. One more point: it’s the frontrunner in two acting categories. What was the last movie to win two acting Oscars that wasn’t a Best Picture nominee?

By: GRubi User 02.24.2014 @ 2:25 AM @Edwin, Well you had me curious, so I had to look it up. The last movie to win two acting oscars and not be nominated for Best Movie? Hud in 1963 when it won Best Actress and Best Supporting Actor. It was also nominated for Best Actor and Best Director, but somehow missed out on Best Picture. Anyway, that’s a good point. But to be fair, it’s almost impossible for every best picture nominee to not have one or probably two nominations just because there are now so many films to choose from. This blog even wrote an article about this and how it proves that the expansion hasn’t had the desired effect of bringing in more popular films. By: Paul Outlaw Could win: American Hustle (but the dialogue is at times disappointingly on-the-nose and heavy-handed) Should win: Her Deserved a nod: Enough Said By: Mr.F 02.22.2014 @ 6:58 AM I feel like predicting Her to win here is a lot like predicting Amour last year, which many did.

Yes, it’s nice to think that they would go for something , but at the end of the day, there was no way Django Unchained was going to lose. By: Mr.F that should read “something unique that seemed out of their comfort zone” By: Sean_C 02.22.2014 @ 7:47 AM “Her” has more precursor support than “Amour” did, and the latter was more or less guaranteed to win Foreign Language Film, so there was a ‘preferred forum’ to honour it in. That’s not the case with “Her”. By: GuyLodge 02.22.2014 @ 7:09 PM That WGA win counts for quite a lot, particularly when all the relevant candidates were eligible. By: Carly 02.22.2014 @ 9:09 AM Even fans of American Hustle acknowledge the script is the weakest link. Half of the plot makes no real sense when you break it down.

And I don’t see them throwing it script as a “consolation prize.” With Her locking up so many precursors, I find it odd many people think Hustle is still the frontrunner. I actually think it’s Her for the win with Nebraska, a film the Academy loves, as the potential spoiler. By: velocityknown 02.22.2014 @ 4:02 PM When the nominations first came out, I thought: “That Dallas Buyers Club nomination belongs to Inside Llewyn Davis.” But then I finally saw Nebraska, and I thought: “That Nebraska nomination belongs to Inside Llewyn Davis.” I’m honestly confused at where the praise for that film is coming from, it’s certainly agreeable enough, but the script is far too clunky (with a far too out-of-his-depth performance from Will Forte) to merit a nomination in my opinion. By: vladdy 02.22.2014 @ 6:10 PM I agree. Terrible movie, terrible Forte.

(And I didn’t believe one second of Squibb’s performance, either.) By: velocityknown 02.22.2014 @ 8:27 PM Squibb’s performance was a bit too cartoonish. Bruce Dern was the only actual person in the film. By: SamE1331 02.23.2014 @ 6:16 PM Totally agree with the Will/Could/Should summary at the end. Frances Ha was far and away my favorite screenplay of the year. But in its absence i hope my number 2 pick Her will squash any chance Hustle has. I thought the AH script was the weakest aspect of the film and frankly: just a big ole hot mess. Will Woody Allen's 'Café Society' receive same acclaim as 'Midnight in Paris'? - CSMonitor.com Will Woody Allen's 'Café Society' receive same acclaim as 'Midnight in Paris'? Latest News 'Café Society' stars Kristen Stewart (l.) and Jesse Eisenberg (r.).

Sabrina Lantos/Lionsgate/AP View Caption of Director Woody Allen’s newest film, “Café Society,” comes to theaters on July 15. Will it receive anything close to the acclaim of his 2011 movie “Midnight in Paris,” which is the best-reviewed of his recent work? “Café” stars Jesse Eisenberg as a young New Yorker who travels to Los Angeles to work for his agent uncle (Steve Carell) and falls in love with his uncle’s assistant (Kristen Stewart). The film co-stars Corey Stoll, Ken Stott, and Jeannie Berlin. Mr. Allen famously releases about a film a year and recent efforts include the 2015 movie “Irrational Man,” the 2014 film “Magic in the Moonlight,” and 2013’s “Blue Jasmine,” whose star, Cate Blanchett, won a Best Actress Oscar for her work. Recommended: Famous movie lines: How well do you know them? Allen’s best-known film is most likely the 1977 film “Annie Hall,” which stars him and Diane Keaton and which regularly makes appearances on lists of the best movies of all time.

The movie won the Best Picture Oscar as well as Ms. Keaton winning Best Actress, Allen winning Best Director, and Allen and his co-writer Marshall Brickman winning best original screenplay. Photos of the Day Photos of the Day 01/17 Recent films by the director like “Irrational Man” and “Magic in the Moonlight” were panned by critics. Allen’s most recent critical success was the 2011 movie “Midnight in Paris,” which stars Owen Wilson and Marion Cotillard and centers on a man who discovers he can travel back in time to 1920s Paris. “Midnight” was nominated for the Best Picture prize at the Oscars. What made “Paris,” which also stars Rachel McAdams, Tom Hiddleston, Michael Sheen, Kathy Bates, and Alison Pill, succeed? During his time in the past, Owen Wilson’s character, Gil, encounters many luminaries of the time such as F. Scott Fitzgerald, Gertrude Stein, and Ernest Hemingway.

Monitor film critic Peter Rainer writes that “after a while, the passing parade of geniuses becomes in itself a source of amusement … the set pieces where Gil hangs out with legends are often pointedly funny, and sometimes touching.” And A.O. Scott of the New York Times found Allen’s depiction of nostalgia interesting, writing that “the perception of a diminished world unable to satisfy a hungering sensibility… afflicts Gil. Mr. Allen’s treatment of this condition is gentle and wry.” Meanwhile, Todd McCarthy of the Hollywood Reporter praised the writing in the film. “The film has the concision and snappy pace of Allen’s best work,” he wrote. Next up Get the Monitor stories you care about delivered to your inbox. Daily

Question: For which film did Woody Allen win the 'Oscar' for Best Original Screenplay earlier this year?
Answer: 'MIDNIGHT IN PARIS'